Search - Levon Minassian :: Doudouk / Beyond Borders

An astoundingly beautiful recording of duduk music.

02/15/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been impressed by Minassian's playing with Peter Gabriel and Afro Celt Sound System, and was intrigued when I found he was releasing an album. As a collector of Duduk music (and duduks), I'm utterly astounded at how beautiful this album is. Levon's tone is gorgeous and his accompanists (piano, keyboards, ney flute, violin, tenpur, oud, and percussion) do a wonderful job of complimenting it. Most of the tracks feature Levon's duduk soaring over wonderfully minimal backing tracks, but a few feature some breathtaking vocals courtesy of Roselyne Minassian and Herve Teboul as well. This is the most genuine and successful world music albums I've ever heard."

Mellow joys

philliptidd | 01/11/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was a little nervous that this might be a world music exercise in the worst sense of the phrase, particularly with the other instruments listed, since the duduk is at its best when solo or solo with a drone.
However I was very impressed by the whole CD. The playing is first class, and manages to be both mellow and incisive. It is always good to hear other duduk players, apart from Gasparyan, since outside Armenia itself, few other "names" appear on the CDs available (although there is a Californian Armenian label - which is available in Armenia but which I have never seen in the UK).
Wonderful !"

Multi dimensional Armenian music

nareg | Fort Lee, NJ United States | 09/03/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this CD depicts the Armenian Duduk's mysterious and captivating
tunes that trenscend the conventional yet faithful to it's awefilled essence - soul music of a nation whose melodies of lament still beckon justice... nourishing for souls of conflict"